Security Control Effectiveness
Security control effectiveness, in the context of cybersecurity, refers to how well a security control achieves its intended purpose of reducing risk. It's a measure of whether the control functions as designed and provides the expected level of protection.
Key aspects of security control effectiveness include:
Functionality: The control operates correctly and performs its specified actions.
Reliability: The control consistently provides the intended protection.
Efficacy: The control successfully mitigates the targeted risk.
Context: Effectiveness can vary depending on the specific environment and threat landscape.
ThreatNG provides valuable insights into security control effectiveness, primarily by evaluating an organization's external attack surface and identifying weaknesses and strengths in its security posture.
External Discovery and Assessment: Foundation for Evaluation
ThreatNG's external discovery and assessment capabilities are fundamental to evaluating security control effectiveness.
It starts with external discovery, mapping the organization's externally facing assets. This provides the context for assessing how well security controls protect those assets.
ThreatNG then assesses these assets for vulnerabilities and security configurations, revealing whether existing controls effectively prevent exploitation.
Specific Assessments and Control Effectiveness
Here's how ThreatNG's assessments relate to evaluating the effectiveness of specific security controls:
Web Application Security: The "Web Application Hijack Susceptibility" assessment evaluates the effectiveness of controls like Web Application Firewalls (WAFs), input validation, and authentication mechanisms. For example, if ThreatNG finds a website vulnerable to cross-site scripting (XSS), it indicates that input validation controls are ineffective.
Domain and Email Security: Assessments like "Subdomain Takeover Susceptibility" and "BEC & Phishing Susceptibility" help evaluate the effectiveness of DNS security controls (e.g., DNSSEC), email authentication (SPF, DMARC, DKIM), and domain monitoring. For instance, the absence of SPF or DMARC records suggests ineffective email security controls.
Network Security: ThreatNG's analysis of exposed ports and services assesses the effectiveness of firewall rules and network segmentation. If ThreatNG detects unnecessary open ports, it reveals weaknesses in the firewall configuration.
Data Security: The "Data Leak Susceptibility" assessment evaluates the effectiveness of data loss prevention (DLP) measures and access controls. Exposed cloud storage buckets indicate ineffective access controls.
Code Security: The "Code Secret Exposure" module assesses the effectiveness of code security practices in preventing the exposure of sensitive information like API keys and credentials. The discovery of such secrets points to ineffective controls.
Positive Security Indicators: Direct Evidence of Effectiveness
ThreatNG includes a feature called "Positive Security Indicators" that directly assesses the effectiveness of specific security controls.
It identifies the presence of beneficial security controls and configurations, such as WAFs, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and strong encryption.
ThreatNG validates these controls from an external attacker's perspective, providing objective evidence of their effectiveness. For instance, detecting a functioning WAF confirms its efficacy in protecting web applications.
Reporting and Continuous Monitoring: Ongoing Assessment
ThreatNG's reporting capabilities communicate the findings of security control effectiveness assessments to stakeholders.
Continuous monitoring ensures that the effectiveness of controls is assessed over time, as configurations can change and new vulnerabilities can emerge.
Investigation Modules and Intelligence Repositories: Deeper Analysis
ThreatNG's investigation modules provide detailed information that helps understand why a control is effective or ineffective. For example, the Domain Intelligence module can provide details on email security configurations.
Intelligence repositories provide context. For example, dark web data can show if compromised credentials (a control failure) led to real-world breaches.
Working with Complementary Solutions
ThreatNG's assessment of security control effectiveness is enhanced when it works with other security solutions:
Vulnerability Management: ThreatNG's external view complements internal vulnerability scans, providing a more complete picture of control effectiveness.
SIEM: ThreatNG's findings can be fed into a SIEM to correlate control effectiveness with other security events.
ThreatNG is a valuable tool for evaluating security control effectiveness. It provides an external attacker's perspective, identifies weaknesses and strengths, and offers continuous monitoring and detailed reporting to help organizations understand and improve their security posture.
